Cohort study in UK Biobank links alcohol type and intake levels to mortality risks

A team of researchers analyzed prospective data from 340,924 participants in the UK Biobank cohort collected between 2006 and 2022 to examine how total and beverage-specific alcohol consumption affects mortality. According to findings published in Nutrition Journal, during an average follow-up of 13.4 years, 22,381 deaths were documented, including 11,063 from cancer, 4,288 from cardiovascular disease (CVD), and 7,030 from other causes doi.orgNutrition Journaldoi.orgOpen source ↗. Participants were classified into categories ranging from never or occasional drinking (up to 20 g/week) to high consumption exceeding 40 g/day for men and 20 g/day for women doi.orgNutrition Journaldoi.orgOpen source ↗.

High total alcohol intake showed strong associations with elevated mortality from all-causes (hazard ratio 1.24), CVD (HR 1.14), cancer (HR 1.36), and other causes (HR 1.12) compared to never or occasional consumption doi.orgNutrition Journaldoi.orgOpen source ↗. Moderate intake was associated specifically with higher cancer mortality (HR 1.11) without significant spikes in general cardiovascular deaths doi.orgNutrition Journaldoi.orgOpen source ↗.

Beverage type variations

The research demonstrated distinct outcomes depending on the source of alcohol consumed. Spirits and beer or cider, even at low-to-moderate doses, were correlated with increased risk across all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, cancer, and other conditions, with hazard ratios spanning between 1.07 and 1.83 doi.orgNutrition Journaldoi.orgOpen source ↗.

In contrast, low-to-moderate consumption of wine was associated with reduced all-cause, cardiovascular, cancer, and other causes of mortality compared to baseline non-drinkers or occasional drinkers doi.orgNutrition Journaldoi.orgOpen source ↗.

Cancer risks across organs

Elevated consumption across all categories negated variations seen at lower doses. High intake of any alcoholic beverage, including wine, correlated with marked increases in cancer-related deaths doi.orgNutrition Journaldoi.orgOpen source ↗.

Moderate to high consumption of total alcohol, spirits, and beer or cider, as well as high wine intake, was specifically tied to mortality across multiple cancer sites doi.orgNutrition Journaldoi.orgOpen source ↗. These included malignancies of the head and neck, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, liver and gallbladder, hematological systems, female breast, and reproductive organs doi.orgNutrition Journaldoi.orgOpen source ↗.